Archived News & Related Stories

Energy suppliers `overcharging customers`
A new survey has suggested that energy suppliers are charging customers more than necessary on their direct debits. ... >>

Recession novices `concerned over debts`
People aged 34 or under are more worried about paying off their debts during the recession than their older counterparts, it has been claimed.... >>

Debt: the most common financial topic
Money tends to feature in parent-to-child chats more than most other subjects - according to research conducted by engage Mutual in 2008 - with debt the most common `money` topic. ... >>

RPI inflation `to go negative for first time in 50 years`
City economists have predicted that February`s RPI (Retail Prices Index) measure of inflation will show a fall into negative territory for the first time since 1960. ... >>

Quarter of adults `saved nothing in past two years`
A new survey from Moneysupermarket.com has suggested that around a quarter of British adults have not saved any money in the last two years. ... >>

Millions of mortgage holders `concerned about repossession`
New research from Which? has found that almost six million people with a mortgage (35% of the UK`s total) are concerned that their homes could be repossessed, as the recession continues to put a strain on their ability to stay on top of their finances. ... >>

Telegraph: real cost of living down 4.3%
The Telegraph has claimed that the `real cost of living` for the average British citizen has fallen by 4.3% in the past year - far from the official inflation rate of +3%. ... >>

Younger shoppers `spending less on cut-price clothing`
Younger shoppers spent less on cut-price clothing last year than they did in 2007, despite a surge in the amount of stock being offered at a reduced price, new research has suggested. ... >>

Government plan to curb credit card debt
The Government is planning to impose restrictions on the credit card industry in an attempt to reduce people`s temptation to get into debt, the BBC reports. ... >>

Rate cut `may damage mortgage market`
The recent cut in the UK`s base rate of interest may have a detrimental effect on the UK`s mortgage market, it has been claimed.... >>

Morrisons profits rise on low-cost food range
Morrisons, one of the UK`s `big four` supermarkets, has reported a strong increase in profits, largely down to a 50% surge in sales of its Value range of foods. ... >>

IFS: inflation affecting older and poorer households more
A new report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has suggested that different areas of society are being affected differently by inflation, adding that older and poorer households are the worst affected. ... >>

Recession `gathering pace`
The latest estimates from the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) suggest that the UK economy contracted by 1.8% between December and February. ... >>

More help needed in mortgage market, AMI says
The Association of Mortgage Intermediaries (AMI) has called for greater assistance in the mortgage market.... >>

PwC publishes `Dealing with Debt`
Accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP has published a new report entitled `Dealing with Debt - Reforming public services and narrowing the fiscal gap`. ... >>

Not much chance of mortgage rates falling, experts say
There is little chance that mortgage rates in the UK will fall further, it has been suggested.... >>

Consumers `increasingly struggling with mortgage debts`
An increasing number of consumers are struggling to meet their mortgage repayments due to falls in their income, an industry practitioner has said.... >>

Recession `causing increase in debt problems`
The recession is resulting in a rise in the number of people facing debt problems, an expert has said.... >>

People `worried about paying off debts`
One in five consumers in the UK are worried about their ability to pay off debts, it has been found.... >>

Money concerns `causing Brits to delay retirement`
A considerable number of Britons are planning to delay their retirement because they do not have sufficient funding to support themselves in their post-work years.... >>

Borrowing levels `fell in January`
Lending by banks and building societies to UK households fell during the first month of 2009, new figures suggest.... >>

Free therapy to cope with unemployment & debt problems
The Government will offer free psychological help to millions who are facing unemployment, debt and relationship problems as a result of the recession, The Guardian reports. ... >>

Millions of consumers `in debt to energy suppliers`
Millions of consumers in the UK are in debt to their energy suppliers, it has been claimed.... >>

Many savings accounts `to offer no interest`
Almost half of all savings accounts will offer absolutely no interest as of next month, according to The Times, following the Bank of England`s latest base rate cut. ... >>

Base rate cut good news for tracker mortgage holders
Yesterday`s base rate cut announcement has had some positive effect on the mortgage market, despite a mixed reaction to the Bank of England`s latest measure aimed at fighting the recession. ... >>

Debt: Women `better than men` with money
A new survey has suggested that around the globe, women are consistently regarded as more responsible with their money then their male counterparts. ... >>

Rise in mortgage overpayments
Recent falls in interest rates have led to a surge in the number of homeowners making overpayments towards their mortgage debt, according to one bank. ... >>

Personal debt nears £1.5 trillion
Personal debt in the UK is drawing steadily closer to the £1.5 trillion mark, according to the latest figures published by the Bank of England. ... >>

Base rate drops to 0.5%
At noon today, the Bank of England`s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) announced it was lowering the base rate (also known as bank rate) to 0.5% - a further drop of 0.5% from what was an historic low of 1%.... >>

£30 billion of secret debt
Up to £30 billion of debt may be being kept secret from partners, new research has claimed.... >>